Heartaches
by blackstar48
Summary: Emma finds a quiet place to mourn over Neal after his burial. Regina comforts her.


**Hi guys! This is just a one shot story that basically focuses on Emma coping with Neal's death, and Regina, who knows what she is going through, comforts her. Slight Swan Queen is involved; don't like SQ, don't read. This fic is actually inspired by the promotional pictures for 3x16 (It's Not Easy Being Green) and one of the pictures shows Emma holding a shovel in a cemetery, with this sad look on her face, and in the background, Regina has this look on her face that looks an awful lot like sympathy and concern (and love). So, this is my interpretation of how this scene will play out tomorrow night!**

**Happy Reading guys :)**

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Emma Swan barely let her walls up. The one time she let them down was when she met Neal, and then he left, then came back again almost 2 decades later. Then Emma thought that Neal died; turns out he was actually alive, and then a year later, he actually died. So much for a traumatic experience. Now she was standing by his newly dug grave, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Emma _loved_ him, but not in the way she was in love with him nearly 11 years ago. She was not in love with him anymore.

When he stepped into her life again, she felt hope rise within her. But she quickly found it hard to connect with Neal; it's been too long, and the wounds would open up again. She was left with nothing but an empty heart. Now, Emma found it hard to open up to anyone. As she walked up to the grave, shovel in her hand, she quickly wiped the stray tear off her cheek.

"Goodbye, Neal," she whispered. Her tears welled up again, and she fought with the tiny strength left inside her to keep the tears at bay. So much has happened and Emma was not sure how to cope with it. She kept her head down and stood next to Henry. When she was sure nobody was looking, she finally let the tears escape her eyes. What Emma did not know was that Regina was looking at her with such understanding of the pain she was going through.

A sob suddenly escaped Emma. "Oh Emma, are you okay?" Snow whispered, looking at her sadly.

Emma nodded. "I just need some time alone. Please...just leave me alone."

"Where are you going?" she asked softly. Emma looked at Snow with a sad smile on her face. "Somewhere," she replied. Snow, not being able to do anything, watched as Emma left.

Emma kept walking until she was in a secluded area in the woods. She sat down on a stump and buried her head on her lap. Her broken heart was turning into pieces of shards. It just hurt too much.

"Emma?" a soft voice called out.

Emma whipped her head up. It was Regina. There was a sad look on her face.

"Why did you follow me?" Emma asked, not wanting to sound too harsh. Regina stepped closer to her. "I know...what it's like to lose someone you love." She slipped her hands in Emma's hands. "Emma, I'm so sorry. I really mean it."

"I wasn't in love with him anymore, you know? But losing him? It still hurt like hell."

Regina nodded. "I know how you feel. It's not easy, but trust me, things will get better." Regina looked at Emma's eyes, observing that the extra sparkle that was usually in her eyes was gone. "Let me help you."

"I...just need to let it out."

"Do it, Emma."

And she did. She let out the sobs that she has held in for so long. "There, there..." Regina soothed, rubbing Emma's back gently. "It's going to be okay." Regina also cried along with Emma, tears running down her beautiful face. After several minutes, Emma stopped crying.

"Thank you Regina...and sorry for staining your clothes with my tears." She chuckled a bit. Regina smiled. "It's no problem at all." Then she wrapped her arms around Emma. "You okay now?" she murmured.

Emma nodded. "Uh huh."

"That's all I wanted for you to be. To be happy," Regina confessed. "That's why I gave you happy memories to share with Henry." Regina smiled at the thought of Henry and the memories they shared.

"About that, Regina. I really appreciated being able to live normally, even just for a year with Henry," Emma said. "I said I almost didn't go back here in Storybrooke..." Emma trailed off. "What was the _real_ reason you came back?" Regina asked.

Emma smiled slightly. "Honestly, I came back only for one person." Regina held her breath.

_Please let it be me_, Regina thought. "Do I know that...person?" she asked, not wanting to sound clingy. "Not that I mean to intrude or anything," she added quickly. "Well, that person was one of the very first people I met here in town," Emma said.

_Damn it, definitely not me_, Regina thought.

"That person didn't take too kindly at my stay in this town," Emma went on. "Tried to kick me out of town several times, but failed miserably." A smirk made its way to Emma's face. _Wait a minute..._ Regina thought happily. "As time went on, I realized that I shared a special connection with that person," Emma said.

_It's me... she's talking about me._

"But of course, Regina, you already know who I'm talking about."

Regina's jaw dropped. "Me," she whispered. "You came back because of _me_." Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Emma smiled. "When I got my memories , I realized I missed you so much. Now it kills me, knowing that I went a full year without seeing you."

"I'm here now."

"I know," Emma replied. "I'm with the person I love." Regina's heart skipped a beat. "You love me?" she asked. Emma smiled lazily. "I told you earlier that I wasn't in love with Neal anymore. I know that I shared a son with him, but only one person actually parented Henry...you. I feel a special connection towards you Regina."

Regina's heart fluttered.

"But I'm so scared to love again," Emma confessed. "Every single time I open up to love, I end up getting hurt."

"Emma-" Regina began.

"I don't want to get hurt again."

"Emma, I won't hurt you," Regina said sincerely. She cupped Emma's face with her hands. "You mean too much to me." A lone tear rolled down Emma's cheek, but Regina brushed it off lightly.

Regina did not notice how close her lips were to Emma's; they nearly brushed against each other. She pressed her lips lightly to Emma's. Electricity shot through both of their bodies. Their lips fit perfectly. Emma deepened the kiss, her face flushing. Then they pulled apart, smiling shyly at each other.

"I've been wanting to do that for some time," Regina said timidly. Emma held Regina's hand and squeezed it. "I've been wanting to do that ever since I met you."

They kissed again, this time with more passion and heat. After that, they were out of breath and their heart rates were racing, and their faces were flushed.

"Emma..." Regina whispered.

"Hmm."

"I will help you heal your wounds. We will get through this, I promise."

Emma smiled. "Promise?" 

"I promise," Regina said.

**END**


End file.
